Game card



Jams 1926.

L. EDELs'oN GAME CARD Filed Feb. 2e, 1925 O Q O l 2 OOOOOOMWOO 7%@000300 o@ wooo OO@ o O @OO o o O @o o 0% o @AW O O Q O @00% @o O FIG. 4- 4 IN VEN TOR. (y/Mw Patented Jan. is, i926.--

LEON-EDELSON, F BALTIIOBE, IAB'YLND.

' GAME CARD.

Application 118|! February 26, 1925. Serial No. 11,820.

To all whom 'it concern:

Be it known that LEON EnnLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, has invented certain new and useful Im rovewith a and easily blocked out.

l line 4.--4`of Fig. 3. y j

ments in Game Cards, of which -the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements.

in games and has to do more particularly device for use in the solution of cross-word puzzles. y

The principal object ofmy present invention is to provide a device upon which cross.- word puzzles of any design may be quickly A further object of my-invention is to rovide a cross-word puzzle padvada ted or repeated use withoutfrenewal by w ich a puzzle of a particular. design, when solved, without the use of any erasing means.

i A still further object is to rovide a cross-word puzzle pad upon whlch Aa particular design may be readily transferred without the aid of 'any drawing instru-- ments, such as pens, pencils, scales and rulers.

Still another object is to provide a game pad of the type described having means associated therewith whereby incorrectly inserted words or letters may be obliterated without the use of' any erasing means and without disturbing those words or letters deemed by the player to be correct.

Further objects, and objects relating tol details and economies of construction and operations will definitel appear from the detailed descriptionto ollow. In vone in-l stance,I accom lishI the objects of m inventioii by the devices and means set orth in the following ciication. A structure constituting a pre erred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming'a part of this specification, in which:

Figure -1 is a perspective bodiment of my invention;

l Fig. 2 is. an' enlarged sectional view on -the line 2-2 of Fig. 1' v Fig. 3 shows a modied form of my invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of one emview on the can be instantaneously obliteratedl the paper and cellulose'- kinds of perforations,

puzzledesign. The remainn `merals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

The solving of puzzles has been l prac- 4 ticed by man since time immemorial, but it has been only within a recent period that the cross-word puzzle has become almost universally popular. The popularity of this newest pastime has created great demands for cross-word uzzle blanks, that 1s, blanks having any esirable number of squares blocked out. Certain of the uares are adapted to be. completely filled in in accordance with any preconceived or predetermined design, leaving a number of empty squares in which to form the words. It is among the special purposes of my present invention to meet this great demand for cross-word puzzle blanks by providing a single, pad-like device which `is capable of degr or inary orange stick, nail, en, or even the' linger nail, is drawn over t is paper a line wil appear where the paper has adhered to the treated base. In order to obliterate this line or mark, it is only necessary to lift the paper away from the base and all traces of it will have disappeared. To protect the paper from injury and to 'preserve its life I preferably cover it with afthin transparentsheet of cellulose material. Overlying sheets is placed a perforated` plate, the erforations being preferably in the form o squares, though it may be found advantageous to provide other and the paper cellulosic and perforated sheets are all v secured together in any desirable manner. It will be seen that b plate as a gui e any of the squares may be darkened to obtain the desired cross-word or empty squares may then e filled with the letters forming the words of the puzzle.

undarkened,

ioo using the upper perforated instrument is used Means have been provided, which are described in greater detail hereinafter, for obliterating those certain portions only of the puzzle card which have been incorrectly filled in by the player.

Referring to the drawings my invention comprises a relatively soft base, 10,"such as blotting or filter paper or asbestos which is treated with a wax or other plastic compound and preferably colored. Immediately above this plastic base 10 is a thin sheet, 11, of paper which is transparent to a certain degreesuch that upon drawing a blunt instrument inherently incapable of producing` a Visible mark itself across the pad a mark will appear at the zone of adherence of the paper to the base. lf the paper, 11, be now lifted from the base the mark will instantaneously be obliterated. Tn order to protect the paper, 11, against injury due to any untoward abrasion, as where too sharp an a Celluloid cover, 12, is preferably employed. This sheet, 12, is, of course, transparent and is thin enough so that upon drawing a blunt instrument across its surface the paper, 11, will be caused to adhere to the base, 10, in a zone coincident with the travel of the instrument.

Covering the protecting sheet, 12, is a guide plate, 13, which may be made of any suitable material of suiiicient stiiness to withstand considerable!A use. Frei'eri'ibly l employ a thin sheet `metal plate, though cardboard, wooden, or Celluloid or mica sheets may be as'advanta eously employed. The plate, 13, is provide with a plurality of perforations, 14 which may be in the form of squares as s own in Fig. 1, or which may be circular openings as shown in'A Fig. 3.

horizontally and vertically extending rows. The base, l0, paper sheet, 11, transparent sheet, 12, and guide plate, l are secured together in an suitable manner, the preferable manner eing to clinch them together at the corners, as shown at 151.

A. space, 16, is provided at one edge of the guide plate, 13, substantially equal in width to that of one of the openings. Adapted to be inserted between the pa er sheet, 11, and the plastic base, 10, is a siding member, 17. This sliding member is preferably formed of thin material such as paper, wood, or sheet metal. Small gauge Wire may also be advantageously employed. Normally this sliding member, 17, is disposed with its body, 18, intermediate the elements, 10 and 11, beneath the space', 16, of the guide plate,` 13. The ends 19-19 of the member 17 are bent backward against the under surface of the base` to prevent displacement of the guide and to afford guiding means therefor in its movement between the sheet 1l and the base 10. v

Preferably secured to one edge of the base,

message 10, in any suitable manner is a holder, 20, adapted to receive an instrument, 21, such as an ordinary bluntly pointed piece of wood, though it is conceivable-that a slate or metallic rod may be used in connection with my device to great advantage.

ln use, the player or cross-word puzzle solver transfers the original puzzle design as it appears in a book or newspaper, to

hese openings, 14, are preferably alined fini 'the game card, by merely darkening those squareswhich are shown dark in the original puzzle. `This is done by pressing theinstrument, 21, on the sheet, 12, through the proper openings, 14, corresponding to the dark squares in the original puzzle outline. By pressing the entire surface within the square a complete dark square, 22, may be obtained. Undarkened or empty squares, 23, will'remain to correspond to the similarly arranged empty squares of the original puzzle. These squares may then be filled in with the correct letters of the words deiined in the puzzle in 'the manner well understood by those familiar with this popular game.

Having completed the solution of the puzzle, all that is necessary is to slide the member, 17, between the base, 10, and the sheet, 11, to free the latter from the former and the solved puzzle will be entirely and immediately erased. A new puzzle of different design Inay then be transferred to the clean card in a manner similar to that just described.

Figures 3-4 show a modiiied form of my invention wherein the base, 10, sheet, 11, and celluloid cover, 12, are sewed together by rows of stitching, 24. Such an arrangement is of advantage where it is desirable to obliterate only portions ofthe solution, as where only a certain word has been incorrectly inserted. Fig. 3 shows an instrument particularly adapted to be used with the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 3. This instrument comprises a thin, fiat portion, 25, of a width less than the width of the opening in the plate, 13, but of a length equal to the width of the plate; and a round portion, 26, having a pointed end, 27. Thus, with such an instrument it is possible to insert it between the base, 10,- and the sheet, in any horizontal row as dened by the rows, 24, of stitching,

lll)

in the manner shown in Fig. 3, whereby to obliterate-as many. squares and their markings in any single row as may be desired..` The portion, 26, with its pointed end, 27, is the marking element, so that itl will be seen that I have rovided in a single instru-I ment a marker or my game card and an obliterator of any undesirable letters or col umns of letters. l

Where a plurality of slides are used, it

is possible totry certain words and combinati-ons' of letters which, if may be readily obliterated and new ones not correct,

' l ments of my invention,

y whereby upon the app 4correctly includ proper invention to omit entirely the guide plate,

13, and to merely draw parallel horizontal and vertical lines on either the paper, 11, or the sheet, 12. Essentially, the game card would be still o erated in the same manner as above described. However, it has been found that a card employingy the guide plate,

13, is the most practicable and gives best results. v Again, it is to be understood vthat the relative positions of the sheet, 12, and the plate, 13, may be reversed. If the latter is made of thm paper, then it would be of advantage to protect vit by disposing it beneath theA Celluloid sheet. Thus, the game card may be constructed in many different ways and the relative arrangement of the elements of which it is comprised ma be varied in any desirable manner. I ave shown certain arrangements which have proved most satisfactory, but my invention in its broadest scope is not to be limited or restricted in res ect to details of assembly.

I am aware t ,atthe 'particular embodiwhich I have here shown and described, are susceptible of considerable variation without de arting from the s irit thereof, and. there ore, I desire to claim the same broadly, as well as s cifically, as indicated bythe appended c aims.

1. In a device of the class described, the combination vwith a relatively soft plastic base and means superim osed upon said base ication of pressure thereto by an instrument inherently incap able of producing a mark, a mark will be caused to appear thereon in the zone of adherence of said means to said base, of a guide plate provided with a plurality of apertures. y

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a soft plastic base, a thin transparent writing surface and an apertured guide plate,.whereb upon the ap lication of pressure to sai Writing sur ace by an instrument inherently incapable of producing a mark through the apertures of said guide plate marking maybe caused -tr appear in accordance wit a predetermine esign. l f 3. In a device of the class described, the

combinationn with means adapted to receive ing said instrument across the sur will he produced coincident withV aA mark by an instrument inherently incapable of makingA a mark itself and means for .the instantaneous obliteration of said mark without the use of any erasing means, of a guide plate provided with a plurality of apertures whereby said instrument may be'pressed upon said mark receiving means through said apertures to darken'portions of the surface of said mark receiving means defined by certain of said apertures.

4. In a game card of the type described, the combination lwith means to provide a guide for the transfer of `a certain predetermined design to said card, of means capable of being visibly marked in accordance with said design by an instrument in itselfl inherently incapable of producing a mark l.and means for instantaneously obliterating said mark to provide a new surface for receiving a mark.

5. In a game card of the type described, the combination with means adapted to have a mark produced thereon by an instrument in itself inherently incapable of ,producinv such a mark and means whereby'sad mar may be instantaneously obliterated to provide an unmarked surae upon which to produce a mark, of. a guide plate provided with a plurality of apertures through which saidinstrument may be impressed to produce marks in accordance with a preconceived design. 4

6.4 In a cross-word p uzzle card, in combination, a colored base ada ted to be impressed'by an instrument in erently incapale of producing a mark, a transparent sheet disposed oversaidbasev whereby u on drawace thereof a mark the zone of adherence of said sheet andsaid base due to the impression of said instrument, a guide plate provided with a 'plurality of apertures through which saidinmeans for fastening together said base, sheet a. cross-'word puzzle card, in .combination," a colored base ada ted to be imressed by an instrument i erently incapale of producing a mark, a transparent sheet disposed over said'base whereby upon drawace thereing said instrument across the sur .of .a mark will beproduced coincident with the zone of adherence of said sheet and said base due to the impression of said instrument, a guide plate provided with a pluraln ity of apertures through which said instrument is adapted 'to o erate in accordance with a predetermined esign, and means for lifting,v certain portions only from said base.

8. A cross-word puzzle card comprising a colored p lastic base, a transparent sheet covering said base, and guide means'disof said sheet posed above said sheet whereby an element inherently incapable of producing a visible mark may be pressed upon said sheet to cause the same to adhere to said base at the points of pressure application to produce a visible mark, said pressure being applied through said guide means in accordance with a predetermined design. p

9. A cross-word puzzle card comprising a soft colored base havin adhering characteristics, a transparent s` zones of pressure application thereto whereby a mark is produced and a plate disposed above said sheet, said plate having a plurality of apertures suitably arranged therein whereby a pressure applying instrument may be operated through certain of said apertures to darken portions of the sheet therebeneath, the remaining apertures being left undarkened to be filled in with suitable marks in accordance with the proper solution of the puzzle.

l0. A cross-word puzzle card comprising a soft colored base having adhering characteristics, a transparent sheet covering said base and adapted to adhere to said base in zones of pressure application thereto whereby a mark is produced and a plate disposed above said sheet, said plate having a plurality of apertures suitably arranged therein whereby a pressure applying instrument may be operated through certain of said apertures to darken portions of the sheet therebeneath, the remaining apertures being left undarkened to be lled in with suiteet covering saidv base and adapted to adhere to said base in roper prising a colored plastic base, means superimposed on said base whereby a mark will be caused to appear .thereon by drawing an' instrument across the' surface thereof` and applying pressure thereto, a guide disposed on said means adapted to facilitate the transfer of any particular design thereto, and means for instantaneously obliterating said transferred designwhereby another 'design may bc transferred to the card.

121A cross-word puzzle game card comprising a colored plastic base, means superimposed on said base whereby a mark will be caused to appear thereon by drawing an instrument across the surface thereof and applying pressurethereto, a protecting sheet covering said means and a metal guide adapted to facilitate the transfer of any particular design upon said means.

13. in a cross-word puzzle game card, the combination with a base adapted to have marks produced thereon by-an instrument inherently incapable of producing any mark and means for obliterating said produced marks, of guide means for facilitating the transfer to said base`- of a puzzle of predetermined design.

In testimony whereof hereunto afiix my I signature.

LEUN EDELSON. 

